The feng shui expert also adds that adding real plants enhances any office energy by naturally cleaning the air, reducing stress, and improving communication. "Bamboo, Boston ferns, English ivy, and rubber trees are great go-to options. Including a couple images of supportive family members or other individuals who inspire you is another great energy booster."
"A lot of people see white as a neutral, but in Feng Shui it's often perceived as very sharp," says Frampton. "If I'm looking for the fresh crispness of a white, I'll go with a darker white or very light gray instead," she explains, and suggests Benjamin Moore Gray Owl. "It's a super-soft gray that can read as the right kind of white. We use that one all the time."
One of the criteria that the feng shui expert recommends for establishing a commanding position is to have a solid wall supporting you. "Using a visual cue, think of the solid wall as a mountain protecting your back. Remember, be flexible in how you interpret the feng shui principles." For example, if your floor plan only allows a desk position where your back is supported by a window, Cerrano recommends adding a few plants along the window sill or behind your desk. "The main characteristic of plants (also known as the wood element) is to offer support. Again, this is a general guideline because you need to become acquainted with your office to see what areas allow for the best commanding position and proceed from there."
The earth element is symbolized by the color ochre (yellow). Use this color as a main color for a southwest (love and relationship happiness luck) or northeast (education luck) home office or company office. You can also add other colors to enhance the energies, such as a brown for a darker earth color. The earth element also govern the center of a home or building. If your office is in this location of your home or company building, then be sure to use ochre as your main décor color. Good color combinations include red (fire produces earth (ash)) and yellow, or orange (fire color variation) and yellow.
The Phalaeonopsis orchids, or moth orchids, has recently become popular in Asia as a decoration in major business establishments, as Chinese entrepreneurs find them both auspicious and inspiring. Moths are symbolic for good luck because they are nocturnal creatures that do not stumble in the dark and are never afraid to go close to the night; the orchid's flowers are believed to resemble moths in flight.

In a counseling practice, it’s important your clients feel comfortable and safe in your office, which is why you purchased those extra plush seats, stocked the space with tissues, and hung calming paintings on the wall. You even bring in healthy snacks to keep in your waiting room. But how much thought have you given to the color you painted on those walls? When you rent or lease a space, it’s likely you use whatever color is already on the walls. Even if you recently purchased space for a new practice, changing the wall color may be the very last item on your to-do list. However, it’s time to rethink that decision and use feng shui office colors as the base for decorating your space.

The interesting thing about feng shui and plants is that science tends to agree – plants are a wonderful choice for a home or office. They not only bring more oxygen into the room but some plants can even help filter out harmful toxins and purify the air. In fact, NASA undertook an entire study on this topic in 1989, with some very interesting findings.6
When choosing the colors for your office, you can either go with the elemental guide above or choose a general, lighter color. Yellow, sandstone, pale gold, or green work well. If you want to ground or stabilize, you can choose browns or other earth tones. For large offices with open floor plans, it is important to have subtle colors. When you try to incorporate a bright color in a large active room, it can become too distracting and more stressful.
Don’t worry about that. I’m guessing that the idea is based on kitchen having the fire element (cooking), and the North having the water element. Not sure why Wood is suggested because it actually weakens water and strengthens fire. Earth should be introduced if using their line of logic. Again, I wouldn’t worry about your kitchen location unless you take your house’s facing direction into consideration.

While there are few to no scientific findings that look at the effectiveness of feng shui directly (just, you know, thousands of years of Chinese tradition), some research backs up the practice’s basic principles. One study suggests that getting more organized can improve time management, which helps boost productivity at work Time management for today’s workplace demands. Thomack, B. Matrix Absence Management, Phoenix, AZ. Workplace Health and Safety, 2012 May;60(5):201-3. And psychology research found that adding natural elements—such as sunlight, green plants, and physical movement—to the workplace can boost employee health, happiness, and productivity Evolution in the office: how evolutionary psychology can increase employee health, happiness, and productivity. Fitzgerald, CJ and Danner, KM. Department of Psychology, Oakland University. Evolutionary Psychology, Dec 20;10(5):770-81. How’s that for some positive energy?

As a feng shui cure, it is usually placed in the entryway or the southwest corner of the room or establishment to strengthen the energy and flow of money. Jade plants can grow as an indoor or outdoor plant and ideally should be put in a location where they can get direct sunlight. Water them enough to keep their soil moist and regularly dust off their leaves. You can also add pebbles on top of their soil to facilitate the drainage of water.

Yes, your Feng Shui instincts are excellent — I would definitely suggest placing a mountain behind you to place something between you and the window panes. One of my favorite additional adjustments in cases like this is to hang a protective textile over the back of your chair. Use something that has dark, grounding earth tones like golden brown; it will make you feel more secure immediately.

Corporate settings use two general seating arrangements: individual offices (one room per worker) and the dreaded cubicle (or office isolation tank). The move to more people sharing space, whether in cubicles or not, contributes to an admirable flattening of hierarchies within the corporation. However, the downside is sterility, a lack of privacy and personal space; you may feel like a unit in a machine rather than a person with individual needs and desires.
I often suggest clients place two lucky bamboo stalks in a single vase of water in the relationship area of their bedroom. To locate this area, stand at your bedroom door facing into the room. The far back corner to the right is the relationship area. The pair symbolizes a harmonious union between you and your current or future partner. Both stalks are best similar in size as they also represent a balanced and equal relationship that can grow together in accord.
Native to Central and South America, Pachira is one of the popular Feng Shui plants. Its scientific name is Pachira Aquatica in the family Malvaceae. It is popular Feng Shui luck bringer plant which attracts money, there is a famous tale of a poor farmer from Taiwan who prayed for money and found this plant on his way to home, he took it as an omen and made money by selling plants grown from its seeds, soon after he became very rich.
Outer offices: Large offices, especially high-rise offices often have a bank of windows along the outside wall. While it may be tempting to sit with your back to the windows, you will lack the support you need in your work. Place your desk so you have a solid wall behind you. Use a feng shui office layout for auspicious chi energy and success in your career.
Make sure that your desk or work space isn’t facing any sharp corners or edges. Such as pillars, other buildings or walls and so on. These sharp edges can invite in negative energy. They will cause migraines, headaches, pressure and unhappiness for yourself and others. Keep your desk facing a different way or try to put up a blockade or something between your desk and the sharp edge or corner if you can’t move it. If it is truly unavoidable and you feel uncomfortable, place a bowl of salt or a salt lamp between you and the sharp corners to minimize pressure and “Sha Qi”.
All plants belong to the Wood element, and experts use them as a way to balance the elemental energy of a specific area. For instance, it can help boost the energy level of an area associated with wood, or weaken an area associated with water. But of course, there are other factors to consider when balancing the five elements, which we will discuss later.
Once you have a full view of any incoming opportunities, it’s time to tackle the desk's surface. Chances are there’s a bit of clutter, which Cerrano defines as “anything unfinished, unresolved, tolerated, or disorganized.” Clear the clutter and organize things in a way that suits your work style and personal preferences. Cerrano suggests organizing by date or category, using colored binders if that appeals to you. Getting organized can boost productivity, while clearing clutter can provide a space that allows creativity to flow Time management for today’s workplace demands. Thomack, B. Matrix Absence Management, Phoenix, AZ. Workplace Health and Safety, 2012 May;60(5):201-3.

Projecting corner, post, pillar, column, soffit, or duct work: Many offices contain features that break up the energy flow of the room or, worse, shoot “poison arrows” at your sitting position at the desk. Place a sizeable plant in front of the troublesome feature, or hang a faceted crystal sphere between the feature and your sitting position at the desk.

"Feng shui emphasizes the harmony with one's internal and external environment and the world at large," he explains. "Creating this harmony is particularly important when assessing the color of one’s home office, the place in the home where wealth and abundance are of paramount importance." So how exactly should you choose the ideal feng shui office colors? Brown recommends answering one simple question: Which cardinal direction does your home office face?
Energy, or "chi" is one of the fundamental concepts in feng shui, and being able to increase the chi at your desk is important. More chi means greater prosperity and security for you, ensuring your success and happiness. Place an object in the wrong spot, and the chi is disrupted, and you will need to re-implement feng shui for the office desk at your office desk.
While there are few to no scientific findings that look at the effectiveness of feng shui directly (just, you know, thousands of years of Chinese tradition), some research backs up the practice’s basic principles. One study suggests that getting more organized can improve time management, which helps boost productivity at work Time management for today’s workplace demands. Thomack, B. Matrix Absence Management, Phoenix, AZ. Workplace Health and Safety, 2012 May;60(5):201-3. And psychology research found that adding natural elements—such as sunlight, green plants, and physical movement—to the workplace can boost employee health, happiness, and productivity Evolution in the office: how evolutionary psychology can increase employee health, happiness, and productivity. Fitzgerald, CJ and Danner, KM. Department of Psychology, Oakland University. Evolutionary Psychology, Dec 20;10(5):770-81. How’s that for some positive energy?
Lemon Balm is a perennial aromatic and herbaceous plant in the mint family lamiaceae, native to Central Asia. Scientific research reports suggest that having a lemon balm plant around improves mood and boosts overall mental wellness. Ohio State University study shows that its sweet smell adds to mood enhancement and reduces stress. Lemon balm is effective air purifier, it cleans the air by suppressing airborne germs, molds, bacterias. It is one of the hardiest herb plants which can tolerate full sun or full shade, it can do well indoors or outdoors without much maintenance.
1. Consider painting your office blue. "Color has a huge impact on our emotions," says Benko. Bold colors such as reds can excite and promote aggression and anxiety. "Think about why so many fast food restaurants are painted in reds and oranges," she says. Painting an office environment in these colors will make you want to leave early. The best colors for an office, according to Benko, are pale green to inspire creativity, blue to create a sense of calm, or gray for sophistication.
So how is feng shui different from just getting organized or decorating better? “It goes beyond just decorating because feng shui has a psychological component to the principles, says Laura Cerrano of Feng Shui Manhattan. "Your surroundings have a deep and profound impact on your emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.” Since the daily nine-to-five makes up a big part of the day, improving the chi in the workspace will help you out at work and in the rest of your life.
In feng shui, lucky bamboo is ideal when it’s straight. Sometimes you see the curly or twisted versions, which actually represent the opposite of upright and positive growth, such as spinning and downward spiraling energy. I love using lucky bamboo for feng shui applications because they can thrive in a variety of lighting conditions, in water or in soil, and are easy to find.
13. Add in an air-purifying plant or two. Offices are notorious for high EMF (electromagnetic field) devices, which sap energy and pollute the air. Air purifying plants will help to increase the oxygen available to your brain (a definite bonus while working, we can all agree) as well as refresh the space overall and keep positive energy levels high.
When you work in a cubicle type office setting - which means that your office set-up cannot be changed - you have to pay even more attention to creating (and keeping) good energy throughout your day at the office. While you might not be able to move your office desk into a feng shui commanding position or face your lucky feng shui directions, but there are still many ways to improve the energy of your workspace.